Reminder clock



E. GROSSMAN Nov. 8, 1932.

REMINDER CLOCK Filed Feb. 21. 1931 Sheets-Sheet l lr/vezrfaz' a a/470 670552724]? fig W W Nov. 8, 1932. GROSSMAN 1,887,303

REMINDER CLOCK Filed Feb. 21, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JJfUJf/ZE @Z/marz/ Grass /7422 ZQWKW Patented Nov. 8, 1932 EDWARD GROSSMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS REMINDER. CLOCK Application file-i1 February 21, 1931.

This invention relates to improvements in reminder clocks, and more particularly to a reminder clock which may be so set at any desired time, as to successively and automatically sound an alarm at its arrival at predetermined times.

In reminder clocks heretofore devised there is generally provided an alarm mechanism having a detent for normally holding the clapper against operation, and a member including a cam or the like for releasing this detent when the desired time interval has elapsed after the mechanism has been set. Thus when once the alarm sounding mechanism has been so set as to sound an alarm at the expiration of a predetermined time interval, the said alarm sounding mechanism must again be manually set before it is effective to sound an alarm at the expiration of a further predetermined time interval.

It is, therefore, the main object of this in vention to provide an improved reminder clock which may be so set at any desired time or times, as to successively and automatically sound an alarm at the expiration of a 'series of successive predetermined time intervals, without necessitating the manual setting of said mechanism at the expiration of each time interval.

In making provision for successively sounding the alarm at the arrival at predetermined times, it has been a further aim of this invention to provide on the face of the clock a large disc upon which may be visibly indicated the information that the operator is to be reminded of at some future predetermined time, said disc having means associated therewith for automatically causing the sounding of the alarm mechanism when said predetermined time has been reached.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved reminder clock of the character described which will be neat in appearance, simple in construction and operation, and which may be produced along lines convenient for economical manufacture, and which will be efficient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

With the foregoing and other objects in Serial No. 517,463.

view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel, features of construction, arrangement and. combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention I have 1llustrated m the accompanying drawings a preferred en'ibodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connectionwith the following description, my invention, its mode of construction and assembly and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the draw- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a reminder clock constructed 1n accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the casing, showing internal parts in elevation ortions of these Darts bein 7 23 broken away to disclose other parts which would otherwise be obscure.

Parts of the conventional clock mechanism are omitted for the sake of clearness;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the casing and my improved mechanism taken on a plane at right angles to that of Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 are views in perspective of fragmentary portions of details of construction;

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a tab or the like associated wlth the front of the clock for visibly indlcatmg information thereon; and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken through one of said tabs on line 7 ure 1.

of Fig- Referring to the drawings more specific ally by characters of reference, the numeral designates a base upon which is mounted my improved clock casing generally designated by the reference character 11, at the forward end of which said casing is provided with the portion 12,- of reduced diameter, and in which portion is mounted the dial 13, with which the hour and minute hands 14 and 15 respectively co-act for indicating the time in the usual manner. A glass door 16, or the like is provided for closing the front end of said reduced portion 12. The front face of the enlarged portion 11 of the casing is generally designated by the numeral 17, and is provided on the entire surface thereof with the radial slots or recesses 18, spaced equi-distantly' from each other. In the embodiment illustrated, there cesses 18 are shown arranged to correspond to time intervals of 15 minutes apart. It is to be understood, however, that the spacing of said recesses may be arranged to correspond to any desired time intervals, such for example as 5, 10, 15 or more minutes apart, this depending entirely upon the size of the casing and upon the purposes for which the device is to be used. It is believed, however, that by providing the device with means whereby appointments may be made approximately 15' minutes apart,

the same will be satisfactory for substantially every purpose for which the device may be used.

Each recess 18, is spaced from its next adjacent recesses by the raised portions 19, which portions are provided, as shown more clearly in Figure 7, with the undercut side walls 20 between which is adapted to be received a suitable tab 21 or the like, said tab being substantially of the shape and construction more clearly shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. The said tab is provided with the-side portions 22 along the side edges thereof, which portions 22 are adapted tocooperate with the side walls 20 of said-slots for receiving said tabs in the recesses 18. Adjacent the forward end of the tab 21. is provided an opening 23, which opening is adapted to cooperate with either oneof a pair of-raised projections 24 and 25, struck up from the bottom wall of said slot 18, said projections being provided adjacent the inner edge of each slot for securely holding said tab in the slot in either one of two fixed positions. An extension or tongue 26 is provided'on the inner end of the tab, which tongue is adapted to project through an opening 27, provided in the inner end wall of the slot, for a purpose to be presently more fully described. The tab 21, may be constructe of any suitable material, upon which it may be possible to inscribe the desired information which this tab is to carry, or it may have, as shown in the drawings, a removable card 28 of paper or the like upon which said information may be provided. A suitable handle 29, may be provided on the end of the tab for facilitating the insertion and removal of the same.

As the time and alarm mechanism is of usual and conventional construction, only so much thereof as. is necessary for completely illustrating applicants invention has been shown in the drawings. In the embodiment illustrated, there is shown a portion of a frame structure 30, upon which is carried the time mechanism driven by a spring motor 31, which is provided with the usual winding key (not shown), and upon which is also mounted the alarm mechanism driven by the springmotor 32, also provided with a winding'lrey (not shown).

The alarm mechanism may be of any desired or preferred construction and in the present disclosure includes an escapement 33', whose teeth are adapted to ride against the pivotally mounted bell clapper 3%, to actuate the same to strike the gong 35, to sound an alarm. A spring'means 36, is provided for normally urging said clapper 3 1 into engagement with the escapement 33. A suitable spring detent 37, secure to the frame 30, is provided, said detent having the forward edge 38 thereof bent at right and adapted for normally swinging itself out of engagement with the clapper 84,-, to permit the spring 36, to move the same to a position wherethe said clapper will be actu an es thereto ated by the escapement 33. Novel provision,

however, is made for normally holding this detent in aposition where it will engage the said clapper, so that the alarm mechanism will normally be held in inoperative position.

This novel. means, also being adapted for permitting the movement of said detent at certain predetermined times, which movement will release the clapper so that automatic sounding of the alarm will be effected. In describing the actuating or releasing means for the detent 37, while I may use such terms as vertical, horizontal and so on, it is to be understood that by so doing, I do not limit myself to the exact positioning and location of parts which have been disclosed in this particular embodiment of the invention.

The numeral 39 designates a vertically disposed ring gear, the inner periphery of which is provided with gear teeth 4:0, by means of which it is connected through the gears 41,

12, 13 and 4A to the shaft 4:5, which shaft is driven by the spring motor 31, in the usual manner, and upon which shaft is mounted the hour hand 14-. The ring gear 39 is mounted so that it will rotate at a speed substantially equal to the speed of rotation of the hour hand 14. The outer periphery of the ring gear 39, is provided with a smooth surface, and has mounted thereon a ring member 46, the width of which is considerably less than the width of the ring gear 39,

as shown more clearly in the drawings. he rin member 46, is provided with a plurality of radial pins or lu 47, on the inner periphery thereof, said pins being received in suitable arcuated slots 48, provided in the outer periphery 01 the ring gear Obviously, any desired number of said and sl ts may be provided and in he embodime". t instrated there are shown three sets of such pin and slot connections, said being arranged substantially equi-distantly from each other on the circumference of said members. suitable coil spring 49, pro 1 t hold ing said members 39 and 46 in assembled position, said spring 49- having one end thereof secure to the member and the other end member 46,

thereof secure to the rin shown in Figure 2 or he dra ings. The said spring 49 is of sulli i strength to urge an d to normally hold t -e embers in a nosiion shown in Figu the draw 4'? are disposed cooperating slo su'ficient strength and 46 to norms a unit as said -ie mechanism. The ring 1: ember 4 is rovided at one point on its outer periphery with a projection or lug 50, said lug extending transversely of said ring member and being adapted to be engaged by the tongue 26 provided on the 21 when said tabs have con moved to their innermost position in the slots 18. shown in Figure 3 of the drawings the mem bers 39 and are so disposed that the insertion of the tab 21 will place the tongue 26 thereof in a position to be engaged by the lug 50 on the ring 46 as the latter rota es with its associated ring gear 39. Also, when in that position, it will be noted that the ring 46 will engage a projection 51 provided on the detent 37 intermediate the ends thereof for holding the said tent against its own resiliency in the full line position shown in Figure 3, in which position the forward end 38 of said detent vill engage the clapper 34 to hold the same in alarm-s nt position.

However, when the said projection o1. comes into engagement with the tongue 26 of the s 21, ring inembe will be held by gue 26 against further rotation which will result in said member 39 rotatif 3 independently of said ring member 46, which independent or relative rotation of the i gear will cause the slots 48 to ride on salt pins 47, and because of the arcuate formation of slots a transverse sliding movement will be impar ed to said ring member 46, this movement being in the direction of the arrows as indicated in Figure 8 of the drawings. At the same time it will be noted that the spring 49 holding said members 46 and 89 in assembled position will be extended and placed under tension to be effective in returning said members to their original normal position immediately upon the disen gagement of the tongue 26 with the lug 50. A viewed in Figure 3, the transverse sliding movement or the ring member 46 will permit the spring detent 3'7, because of its resiliency, to swing away from the clapper 34 and to eventually release the same for sounding the alari'n,

It will be noted that the further transverse sliding movement of said ring member 46 will evemually move the same where the lug 50 provided thereon will ride past the tongue 26 provided on the tabs 21 and bring the said ring member to a position substantially as .n i in dotted lines in Figure 3 of the drawings, and immediately as said lug 50 moves to point where it disengages the tongue 26, the spring 49 will be effective to bring the members 46 and .39 to their original position, in which position. the said ring member 46 vill again engage the projection 51 on the -ng detcnt 37 and force the same to eno the clapper for automatically throwing m mechanism out of play.

i. wii thus be apparent that every time the ai lug; 50 is engaged by the tongue 26 of the tabs 21 the above operation will be repeated, resulting in the automatic soundlng f the alarm and the subsequent return of the mechanism to an alarm-silent position, in which position it will remain until the next successive "fully inserted tab is engaged by L he lug 50 for again directing the attention the operator or user to the formation apog said i, a. By reason of the above :uction it will be noted that when the operator or user of the device desires to be reminded of an appointment or the like, to be lzept at some predetermined time later in the day, it is merely necessary to mark or inon the tab disposed opposite that particular predetermined time the nature of the information that he wishes to be reminded or and to move said tab to its fully inserted position, that is the position where the tongue 26 thereof -zn be disposed through the slot 27 and. in the path of travel of the lug 50 on the ring member 46. Now then, upon the arrival of that particular time the lug 50 will engage the tongue 26 and cause a releasing oi the detent 37, in the manner above debed, toreflecting a sounding of the alarm, ereby reminding the operator or user of the ppointment or what other information he may have on that particular tab.

tor appointment has been kept the tab ma D3 moved to its other position age the projection 24, in

will be noted that the be disposed out of the path of will be normally held in their respective recesses until such time as an appointment s made to be kept at some definite time later in the day, in which case the tab disposed opposite that particular time may have the desired information inscribed thereon and moved to its fully inserted or operative position, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. Thus as viewed in Figure 1, the tabs disposed opposite the 12 oclock and 1 oclock periods are in operative position and will be edective in causing the automatic sounding of the gen at 12 and 1 oclock respectively, whereas the tab disposed opposite the 2 oclock period, is in a partially withdrawn position which would indicate that either no appointment has been made for that time or that the same had already been kept.

From the foregoing it will be apparent Without further description that I have provided a reminder clock oi the character described, which will be substantially automatic in ii's operation and which will be eiiective in successively and automatically sounding an alarm at the arrival at )rcdetermined times of the day for directing to the atiention of the operator or user certain information that the operator may wish to be reminded of at those predetermined times.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction, operation and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated from the foregoing without further description, and should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the details of construction are, nevertheless, capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States is 1. In a reminder clock, an enclosing casing, time and alarm mechanisms disposed in said casing, controlling means for the alarm including a pair of ring members resiliently connected with each other to normally move a unit, a spring detent normally held in contact with one of said ring members for holding the alarm in inoperative position, said last mentioned ring member having a peripheral lug, means for engaging said lug at certain predetermined times to cause said ring member to move to a position where it will rel ase the said spring detent, thereby causing the sounding of the alarm, said last mentioned means being in the form of information bearing tabs disposed on the front of the clock casing at points which will correspond with the time when it is desired to have the alarm sounded.

2. In a reminder clock, time and alarm mechanism, an enclosing casing, alarm releasing means including a self releasing spring detent for said alarm mechanism and a clock driven control member having a peripheral lug, said control member being instrumental to release the alarm. as said lug arrives at certain predetermined positions, and means carried by said clock casing adapted for co-action with the'dial of the clock, whereby the same may be disposed at desired predetermined positions along said dial, said last mentioned means having means provided thereon for extending into said casing to engage said peripheral lug to cause the said control member to be actuated to release the alarm.

3. In a reminder clock of the character described, time and alarm mechanisms, a self releasing spring detent for said alarm mechanism, a clock driven control member for normally holding said detent in position to prevent the actuation of said alarm mechanism, indicating means provided on the face of said clock casing, means for holding said indicating means in one of two positions, said indicating means being adapted when held in one of said positions to engage said control member and to cause the same to release said detent, whereby the said alarm mechanism will be actuated, and means for returning said control member to its normal detent holding position immediately after the sounding of said alarm.

4. In areminder clock of the character described, time and alarm mechanisms, an enclosing casing for said time an d alarm mechanisms, a self releasing detent, a clock driven control member adapted for normally holding said detent in applied position to hold the alarm mechanism against actuation, means for engaging said control member and to cause the same to move to a position Where it will release said detent, said last mentioned means including a plurality of information bearing tabs disposed on the front of said casing at any point corresponding to the time at which it is desired to have the alarm sounded.

In testimony whereof, I a liix my signature.

EDWARD GROSSMAN. 

